Social investment programmes, FG and Nigerians

THE operational glitches being experienced in some states notwithstanding, the testimonies being shared by beneficiaries of the Social Investment Programmes (SIP) of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration shows that the intervention is making the required impact. It comprises the Conditional Cash Transfer, Home Grown School Feeding, N-Power and the General Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Nigerians have been pleasantly surprised by the meticulous planning and execution of the plans which continues even in the face of declining government revenue.  To ensure that the planning, execution and monitoring of the programmes meet the international best practices,  the Federal Government is tapping  into the knowledge, expertise and experience of global players like the World Bank, DFID, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and  Imperial College, UK, amongst others.

Months after the commencement of the plans which government had appropriated N500 billion for in the 2016 budget with the same amount replicated in the 2017 Appropriation Bill, the administration is trying hard to    empower all societal groups including children, the poor and vulnerable, the elderly, unemployed graduates and budding entrepreneurs. The Federal Government has already spent over N375 million this year (2017)  on the feeding of about 700,000 primary school pupils in  five states of  Anambra, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ebonyi  in implementing the Home Grown School Feeding  plan.  The amount is expected to rise significantly by the completion of the first phase target of 5.5 million primary school pupils across the 18 states. In addition, the plan has created a win-win situation for all parties concerned – pupils, food vendors and farmers in the communities.

The Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, highlighted this in a speech at the commencement of the programme in his state.  “This (programme) will definitely enhance the production and income capacities of our farmers and the suppliers of our various products. The multiplier effect of all these daily transactions to the farmer as well as market women will be huge,” noted the Governor. He added that the 2, 969 food vendors who were given cooking utensils at interest-free rates, “will make additional income from taking on catering businesses in their communities on weekends and when schools are off.”

Also lauding the initiative before its take-off, a former minister and chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Adeseye Ogunlewe, described it as laudable. “The Federal Government wants to feed Nigerian children; we should allow our children to enjoy it. We should not politicise it at all. The more we politicise it, the more it will be difficult to be implemented,” he said.

Comments by the other beneficiaries, especially on social media, also reveal the positive impact that the N-Power scheme is having on the lives of unemployed Nigerians.  Already, 200,000 out of a projected beneficiary target of half a million unemployed youths have so far been employed and deployed to rural communities as teachers, agricultural extension workers and health support workers in more than 20 states of the federation. The beneficiaries, who have started receiving their monthly stipend of N30, 000 directly, have been generous with their praises.

“Every part of this country is facing social problems ranging from unemployment and other critical issues. I think the government should come up with more of this kind of social intervention programme (npower) to reduce the level of suffering of her youth. Kudos to PMB [President Muhammadu Buhari] for his bold initiative such as the N-Power Programme,” wrote Dio Edwin on Facebook.  Adedayo N. Oladipupo also attested to the authenticity of the scheme: “At last, I have received my alert. N-Power carry on. I got mine 5:15 am this morning. I urge other participants to relax, yours is coming.” he wrote on January 5.  Kata Cyril described the first payment received as ‘My Letter of Happiness from Delta State’. “I’ve received my N-Power (N-Teach) first stipend from GTB just exactly 9:48 pm yesterday. I doubted before, but now I believe in a New Nigeria to come under Buhari’s administration. I doubted The CHANGE slogan, but from now onwards “I stand for change.” Spokesman to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, whose office is supervising the programmes, also urged patience in a tweet. “We’re continually reviewing progress of N-Power beneficiaries from verification, deployment and stipends’ payment. Those involved be patient.”

The Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) currently being implemented in Bauchi, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo sates is also impacting positively on lives of the poor and vulnerable. Like the other plans, the CCT has built-in checks from conception to execution to prevent abuse.  The sum of N10, 000 is currently being paid directly to the CCT beneficiaries from funds released to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) for December 2016, and January 2017 while subsequent payments of N10, 000 would be made six times annually.

Artisans, traders, youth, entrepreneurs and market women amongst others are beneficiaries of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) that commenced in November 2016 under the supervision of the Bank of Industry. Under the scheme, soft loans ranging from N10, 000 to N100, 000 are being given to beneficiaries from 15 states, with a plan to touch over 30,000 this month, and well over a million in a year.  Beneficiaries of the first phase have so far been selected from Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Lagos, Osun and Ogun. Others are in Oyo, Ondo, Rivers and the FCT.  The interventions are a good way of assisting the people and also fighting the recession.  I think I will want to congratulate the President for what he has so far done but also urge him not to rest on his oars because there are still lots of Nigerians grappling with poverty and unemployment,” noted Dr. Gbenga Ojo, an educational consultant based in Lagos.

Another commentator, Mr. Mike Olaleye, was initially sceptical about the programmes because the selection criteria were not clear until he was appropriately enlightened by the updates from the Presidency.  “I was particularly delighted to learn that government adopted the Community-Based Targeting (CBT) model of the World Bank to choose beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfers and that state governments were involved while graduates actually filled their details on a portal for the N-Power scheme. It’s a good move by the Presidency,” he said.

• Adeoye sent in this piece from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.